Canada Kept Selling Military Goods to Israel — Even With a So-Called Freeze
Canada shipped nearly $14.7 million worth of military goods and technology to Israel in 2025, even as Ottawa insisted it had stopped approving new arms export permits that could fuel the conflict in Gaza, according to Anadolu. The figures, buried inside a government report released Friday by Global Affairs Canada, are sparking fresh questions about the gap between what Canada says and what Canada does.
The annual report on strategic goods and technologies confirmed that 50 export permits were used for military shipments to Israel last year. Officials were careful to clarify that these permits were authorized either in 2025 or in prior years, meaning the government’s freeze, announced on January 8, 2024, did not cancel older approvals already in place.
Israel was among dozens of destinations receiving Canadian-controlled military exports, which totaled roughly $2.05 billion to non-American destinations worldwide in 2025.
Global Affairs Canada defended its position, stating it has consistently refused to issue new permits for military items that could be used in Gaza, while also suspending a small number of existing ones. But critics and legal challengers argue the distinction is paper-thin.
Two court cases are pressing the government hard. One seeks to overturn military export permits issued after October 9, 2023. Another claims Canada violated both domestic and international law by authorizing these arms sales at all. Both remained unresolved as of December 31, 2025.
For many Canadians watching the bloodshed in Gaza, the numbers tell a story the government’s careful language cannot quite erase — money moved, weapons followed, and the freeze had a back door.
